Do you teach children’s yoga? Here are some tips to consider while you teach.

Teaching Considerations

Keep an open mind and be flexible. Lesson plans are terrific for staying focused but sometimes they don’t go as planned. Let go of expectations and spend time reflecting after your class to see what went well and what could shift.

Listen to the children. Some of the best games and breath we have learned has been through them! They know what is fun and what feels good, so allow them to teach you too.

Know what you need. If you are feeling sore because you just climbed a 14er the day before, then take it easy. Don’t teach a pose that you don’t feel comfortable doing yourself. You get to create a class that makes sense for the kids and yourself. Take care of YOU.

Have fun! Kids yoga should be a good time for everyone!

Create a theme that speaks to your audience. Each teacher will have a different purpose or intention for her or his class. This is beautiful, because everyone has a different inspiration for why they want to bring the gift of yoga to children. Julie’s is to give them tools for self empowerment and stress relief, because she had anxiety as a child. If you have something that speaks to you, speak your truth and share.

Make sure all the kids feel included and never feel left out. If someone is mean or you notice someone having unpleasant words or actions, then remind them about peaceful thoughts, words and actions and perhaps visit your agreements for class.

The children are the most important part of class. Be mindful of educating the Whole Child— All students are in an environment that is physically and emotionally safe. You are there to hold space and provide an environment where your students can feel comfortable to be their authentic selves.

Treat each student with kindness and respect.

Have a practice of your own so you can authentically teach these tools.

Know your audience. You will want to teach preschoolers different than 5th graders– Be mindful of your delivery to each age group. If you have a group who have experienced trauma or who have special needs, a specific training may be needed in order to effectively serve this population.

It’s Julie with Radiant Beginnings. If you are someone that struggles with anxiety, you know that the thoughts that you have are just nonstop it’s hard to break that cycle and create moments of pause or just slow thoughts moving in and moving out. I realized the other day when I am in the height of my anxiety I am the most unkind to myself. So I am learning a lot about self-compassion, and I realized that if I had known about the brain. If I had know about how the brain works, and how when you are in your fight or flight you literally cannot think clearly. Your mind goes blank. You cannot think clearly you might make mistakes and I used to beat myself up all the time. When I was in a state of overwhelm I would like…”oh you are so stupid, how did you do that … da da da da…” And now with this awareness of knowing what happens to the prefrontal cortex where you make decisions if that is shut down and you cant make a decision properly, then thats not your fault. You’re not stupid. You’re not any of the other mean things you are telling yourself. You simply cannot access the part of your brain involved in making a smart decision. So if you make a mistake try giving yourself some compassion and create some space between that instant reaction of being mean and unkind to yourself. It’s not your fault. If you are in fight or flight you are in a different sense of… You are just a different human in that moment, so be kind to yourself!

Hello, When you are stressed or anxious, do you find that you say unkind things to yourself?

If you’re like me, you are the least compassionate to yourself when you need the most self-compassion.

Learning about what happens in the brain when we are in our sympathetic nervous system has given me tools to say ‘hey, I can’t access my prefrontal cortex right now… My amygdala is firing!I need to stop and breathe to get back into my prefrontal cortex so I can think clearly.”

Something along those lines of course 🙂

If you are struggling with stress/anxiety and find yourself saying unkind things to yourself, perhaps try taking a few deep belly breaths and send yourself some compassion that you are having a hard time in that moment.

Anxiety is like a giant ocean wave that feels like it is going to wash you away to sea. Let’s learn tools to be with the wave or calm the nervous system to combat it.

Hosting family and friends during the holidays can be overwhelming.You want to get everything just right, from the finger foods to the decorations. You also want everyone to have a great time, including you, and it can be stressful.

You’re not alone.If you find you’re stressed about hosting your event, you have plenty of company.According to studies cited by Zester Daily, one in eight hosts experiences anxiety relating to throwing a party, ranging from a deer-in-headlights-freeze at the helm of the stove, to sensory overload, to actually feeling sick about it.Sixty-one percent even said it’s worse than a first date or job interview.Here is how to throw a successful holiday gathering without feeling stressed.

Your attitude is the key. It’s important to set aside your expectation for a “perfect” party.Maintain the mindset of offering home cooking, not that of a chef or caterer.Do some research on the internet for ideas.You can find great recipes, decorating suggestions and party tips on websites like Pinterest.

Anticipate. Prepare for your event by doing tasks ahead, like purchasing flowers a couple days in advance and ensuring you have enough table settings.Plan your menu and decorations, rather than trying to throw them together right before the party.

Simplify. Don’t try to put together elaborate foods, especially if you are new to hosting events.You can even make the meal a potluck, asking guests to bring sides while you provide the main course.It can help to keep your guest list on the smaller side, too, and some experts recommend steering clear of guests who make you especially nervous.Bottom line: aim for less food to make and less table settings so you’ll be less overwhelmed.

Dietary restrictions. Many people are on special diets these days, whether due to health concerns, personal beliefs or cultural heritage.If your guest list includes someone needing special considerations, The Washington Post suggests asking that person to provide a dish.Even if it’s not a potluck, you ensure your guest has something agreeable on the menu.Another idea from experts is to make it clear what is in your dishes. You can either offer an explanation like, “We stayed away from animal products in all of the vegetable dishes,” or if you’re serving buffet-style have a section that’s vegan, signified with a placard.

Roll with it. If something comes up to alter your plans a bit, adapt your plans.For instance if you arranged a party on the patio and the weather isn’t agreeable, just move it inside.Grab a folding table and a few chairs to make extra seating for unexpected guests.If you wanted a berry cobbler but can’t find fresh berries at the grocery, change to an apple cobbler.

Savor.The pros at Kitchn explain that one of the keys to a successful party is relaxing and allowing your event to unfold without rushing.Take time to enjoy your food and spend time with your guests, especially after the meal.Let everyone participate in some downtime chatting together, and leave cleaning up for the next morning.

The day after. Prepare enough food for your party to be able to take the next day off from cooking.You can enjoy the leftovers and savor the success of your event.

Celebrate!Following the guidelines outlined here will help you and your guests have a wonderful time.Let go of your notions about a “perfect” party and keep things simple.Anticipate what you can control and roll with the things you can’t.Savor the event and time with your friends and family.Your holiday party will be a smashing success!

Our video curricula is happening at Ocean Avenue Elementary School in Portland, Maine. The school social worker invited me in to connect with his multicultural group. He shared a story that one of the students started sharing an impromptu guided relaxation. He thought the student was joking around but was pleasantly surprised when the other students in the group started following along, breathing and imagining a peaceful place for their minds to go.

After hearing about this, I came in to work with the group. We were all excited to lead the entire school during a morning monthly meeting through deep breathing, mindful listening and a guided relaxation. That’s just what we did.

We created a line in front of 400 students and staff. One student held the breathing ball as the entire school inhaled and let out a beautiful exhale. Another student lead mindful listening, instructing the school to “please raise your hand when the sound stops for you”. After another friend guided the entire school community through a guided relaxation. We did a buffalo breath as we inhaled our shoulders up and exhaled our shoulders down. Then, our friend closed class with “peaceful thoughts, words and actions.”

Everyone went back to their classrooms and we all started our day with community, connection, deep breaths and a connection to our mind and body. It was a beautiful moment that I will treasure for the rest of my life.